


The Vulgar Needs of Life

by Telesilla



Series: Ventura Highway [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-27
Updated: 2008-07-27
Packaged: 2017-10-04 04:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telesilla/pseuds/Telesilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bathtubs are important to Rodney.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Vulgar Needs of Life

_ "He placed his whole affection and ambition in those purer speculations where there can be no reference to the vulgar needs of life."_ Plutarch on Archimedes

"I can't; your bathtub sucks," was the first thing that Rodney said the morning John finally threw up his hands and said, "look, why don't you just move in?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why do you think I'm renting that ridiculous house?" Rodney shook his head. "It's not because I need 5000 square feet with a postage stamp backyard and a two and a half car garage in a gated community."

"The bathtub?"

Rodney's house had a really nice bathtub; in fact it had a seriously nice bathroom with a separate shower and glass brick all along one wall, but John still didn't get it.

"I'm like Archimedes," Rodney said as if that explained everything.

"I thought that story was apocryphal," John said and then grinned when Rodney did a double take.

"Be as that may, I often do my best work in the bath."

John thought about Rodney's house, the three empty bedrooms and the living room that looked like it belonged in an upscale furniture store. He thought about how, with its pale stucco walls and red tile roof, it looked like every other house in the neighborhood.

His own place did as well, but he thought the mid '60s architecture gave it a kind of funky charm and besides, instead of a back yard, he had a beach and then the entire Pacific Ocean. He also had an extra bedroom that would make a pretty good home office and a kitchen that had been remodeled just before he'd moved in, a kitchen Rodney was quickly taking over.

"And if my bathtub didn't suck?"

"Well...um...I guess...." Rodney stared down at his over-sized computer bag. The sleeve of the shirt he'd worn last night at dinner was hanging out of it along with a power cord.

"Because I can have a contractor over here by tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't be ridiculous; you can't afford that."

"You mean...." John took a deep breath. "You never looked me up?" He'd kind of assumed Rodney had checked him out, just because it was a Rodney-like thing to do and also, while John wasn't actually sure what level of security clearance Rodney still had, he knew he'd had the highest possible at one point.

"Looked you up?" Rodney looked confused. "Oh you mean googled you or had someone do a background check on you? Um...I thought about it, of course, but I'm supposed to be leaving that kind of paranoia behind and I kind of figured that it would be cool to have a boyf...I mean, I'm not working for them anymore and so why can't I be like normal people?"

"Rodney," John said, shaking his head and trying to ignore the funny feeling in his chest that had happened when Rodney had cut off the word "boyfriend" in mid stride. "You're not like normal people."

"Oh. I'm not?"

"It's okay, it's a good thing." John stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared out the window at the vague outline of Anacapa that showed through the morning mist. "I'm...do you need to get going?"

"No," Rodney said. "I don't have any appointments and it's okay if I don't hold office hours." John heard him putting his bag down. "You're building up to telling me something about yourself. You think I'm gonna miss out on that?"

You ever hear of Sheppard Utilities?"

"You're kidding. But you...I thought you were...."

"In the Air Force," John said. "Yeah, I was. But it's not like I sprang fully formed from the classrooms at the Academy."

"But why...?"

"I left, turned my back on the whole thing after I got divorced." At least he'd told Rodney about his attempt at a heteronormative lifestyle, so that much wouldn't come as a surprise. "But I've got...well, my great aunt, the one who left me this place? She was kinda eccentric and also, you know, pretty rich. She set me up with a trust fund."

"She lived here?"

"Well yeah, with about half a dozen cats or so. Like I said, she was eccentric." John shrugged. "I used to like to visit."

Rodney moved up behind him and slid his arms around John's waist. "I hate my house," he said. "Its kitchen isn't...well it doesn't have any...um, charm. Soul...whatever." He paused. "Now this place...I like your kitchen. And your view."

"Yeah?

"And the other amenities," Rodney continued, sliding his hands into the front pockets of John's baggy cargo shorts.

"So, the bathtub is the only thing keeping you away?"

"You have to let me pay for the renovation." John drew breath to argue. "Shut up. I'm not filthy rich, but trust me, I can afford it."

"Okay but...I have to approve the bathtub too."

"Why? Given the one you have here, you obviously don't care about bathtubs."

"Yeah, but you said you do your best work in the tub." John pushed back, grinding his ass against Rodney's crotch. "I just wanna make sure there's room for both of us in it."

_-end-_

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously based on information from SGA ep 5x03 "Broken Ties," this is just a tiny little look at the Ventura boys. Chronologically it's the earliest thing I've posted about them, although I've written about a quarter of the story in which they meet. My thanks to Darkrose for giving this the once over. Also, Anacapa is one of the [Channel Islands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Islands_%28California%29) and, on a clear day, is easily visible from the beach in Ventura.


End file.
